Gunston Soccer is proud to offer a new, enhanced U7 & U8 Academy program. The ethos of this program is to provide professional technical coaching while cultivating a fun learning environment with the specific goal of producing competitive young players with a passion for the game. The academy will provide a transitional platform between recreational soccer and travel soccer by incorporating and combining the technical approach of the latter with the fun approach of the former.

Academy players will attend practices twice a week where their individual technical development will be guided and nurtured by members of Gunston's professional, full time coaching staff. Practices will be technique-focused but game-driven to ensure the players' enthusiasm for the game is developed in unison with their technical ability.

To further prepare academy players for their transition to travel soccer, the academy will participate in a combination of scrimmages against other Gunston Academy players, and cross-over scrimmages against the academy programs of other Northern Virginia youth soccer clubs.

Practices will take place on Wednesdays and Fridays from 5-6PM and games will be held on Saturdays to mirror the schedule of a typical travel program. The cost for the academy program is $600, this fee covers Fall & Spring Training (16 sessions), 8 Winter Club Training indoor sessions, 8 Winter indoor Futsal games, Coach Compensation, Risk Management Background Checks, Technical Staff Support, Club Insurance, Uniform Expenses and Field Permit.

For more information regarding the U7 & U8 Academy Program please contact Barry McGrellis, Director of Player Development at bmcgrellis@gunstonsoccer.com